1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synthetic insect attractants and use thereof for insect detection and control. More particularly, the invention relates to a composition or combination of alpha-ionol and cade oil as attractants for the tephritid fruit fly Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel), and use thereof to detect, survey, monitor, and/or control this pest.
2. Description of the Art
Tephritid fruit flies from tropical and subtropical regions of the world pose a constant invasion threat to both agricultural and urban regions of the continental United States. If tephritid fruit flies were allowed to invade and infestations were to become established in the continental United States, the estimated cost would be hundreds of millions of dollars in direct control costs and billions of dollars in commodity treatment costs and/or embargoes and lost export markets. Thus, fruit fly invasions must be quickly detected, and the geographical extent of such infestation must be precisely delineated prior to and throughout the accompanying eradication control programs.
The fruit fly, Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) [Diptera:Tephritidae], formerly Dacus latifrons (Hendel), is also known by the common names, Solanaceous fruit fly and Malaysian fruit fly. It is primarily a pest of Solanaceous crops, e.g., pepper, tomato, eggplant, and occasionally hosts on Cucurbitaceous plants. It invaded Hawaii from the Far-East, and is now well established as a new pest throughout the Hawaiian Islands. It poses a threat of an invasion of the continental United States. Bactrocera latifrons is also a pest of commercial significance in parts of Asia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,607 describes specific cyclohexyl and cyclohexenyl alcohols and ketones that are attractants for Bactrocera latifrons males. Exemplary compounds include alpha-ionol, .beta.-ionol, and .alpha.-methyl-.alpha.-ionol. The only compound of the patent that is used commercially for detection programs is alpha-ionol. Field experiments have demonstrated that alpha-ionol alone does attract male Bactrocera latifrons, however, it is far inferior in attractancy and efficacy compared to lures of other tephritid pests, and is only marginally effective as a detection lure for Bactrocera latifrons invasions. Thus, there is a current need for a more potent lure for Bactrocera latifrons.
Beroza and Green compiled the results of a laboratory screening study of over 4,000 materials tested as insect attractants against 10 insect species. They report attractiveness of cade oil to B. dorsalis or B. cucurbitae in laboratory screening tests using outdoor cages. No attractiveness of cade oil was found for the other 8 insect species tested, which included the Mediterranean fruit fly and Mexican fruit fly. (See Beroza and Green, Materials Tested as Insect Attractants, Agriculture Handbook No. 239, USDA ARS, Washington, D.C., page 111 (1963)).